Chain.



PATENTED MAR. 2?, 1906.

H. A. HOUSE CHAIN.

APPLIEATIOH FILED amaze, 1905.

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i: j... .H w m m W i2 ATTORNEY H. A. HOUSE.

CHAIN.

APPLIGATIOH mum 832126, 1905.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. HENRY VA. noose. or siuoen roa'r. CONNECTICUT.

CHAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.t'atentecl March 27, 1906.

Application filed September 26, 1905. Serial No. 280,184.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. House, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairiield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chains, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to chains, and in this application it relates more particularly to s loot-metal chains, although the principle in volved in my construction is also applicable to other forms.

The weak point in the construction of all kinds of drivephainsof the belt-and sprocket variety is that the pivotal joint or connectingoint of the links is subject to more or less riction and consequent wear, resulting in stretching or lengthening of the chain. With 5 rocket-chains this stretching changes the pitch of the chain, while the pitch of the s rocket remains iractically the same, and t e inevitable result is the riding or climbing of the chain upon the sprocket-wheel, due to improper meshing, and the inevitable result of this condition is the breaking of the chain.

In my improved chain all tendency to stretch or lengthen is overcome by making a scale or knifeqoint that requires no oiling and develo s no wear and under these conditions is abso utely frictionless.

To enable others to understand in inven-' tion, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 represents an upper plan view of a section of a single-link chain embodying my improved features. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of two of the loop-links connected to other by one of the stay or coupling lin Fig. 3 is'a detail upper plan view of one of the stay-links. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of one of the stay or coupling links. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of one of the stay-link connections. Fi 6 is a detail plan view of one of the stay-bla es or cross-bars of the stay-links. Fi 7 is an upper plan view of a section of a wife chain com prising militiple units of the chain shown at Fig. 1. Fig.

8 is a side elevation of the chain shown at Fig.

7. Fig. 9 is an up or plan view of the stay or coiipling link use in the construction shown at i 7. Fig. 10 is a detail side elevation of one o the stay-link connections shown at Fi 7. Fig. 11 is a detail plan View of the his. j of which the loop-links are formed. 7

Its construction is as follows: The looplinks are made of the sheet metal blank 7 coupling shown at Fig. 11, and they are bent into the shape shown at Figs. 1, 2, 7, and 8. These loop-links comprise the. straight bearing-surface 1, adapted to contact with the surface of a pnlle The upper surface of the link iso en,an this open space is bridged by the flexi lo riding bows 2, whose ends are secured to the projections 3. The ends of the link have the two angular surfaces 4 and 5, which surfaces form an obtuse angle whose apex 6 forms a bearing-point for the knifeedgcs of the stay-blades presently to be descrihed.

3, Fig. 6, is one ofthe stay-blades or crossbars ada ited to form a part of the sta or link shown at Fig. 3. This bla e or bar, which is a counterpart of all the other blades of the series, is diamond shape in crosssection, having the knife-edges F, adapted to be seated in the apex 6 of the V-shaped ends of the loop-link.

8, Fig. 5, is one of the stay-link connections having the diamond" shaped .openings 8", adapted to receive the body portion of the stay-blades or cross bers. The head 7* of the stay-blades rests againstone of theseeonnections, while the ends of said blades project through the op )osite connection and are provided with the holes 9, adapted to receive the arms of the exp ansihle cotter-pins 10.

In Fig. 2 is seen a clear illustration of the manner of connecting the loop links hy means of the stay-links.

It will he observed that the angular construction of the stay-blades in cross-section are much more acute than the angle of the ends of the loop-links. This is done to anable the chain to pass over a small pulley without cramping, which would occur were the angular sides of the stay-blades to come in contact with the an ular sides of the V.- sha )ed ends of the loopinks.

'l he multiple-unit c a.

gle chain-links, (shown at Fig. 1,) which are arran ed side by side, so as tornake a cornpiete chain of an desired width. In th s construction the on y alteration or cha e will be in the ion thening of the stay-hie es or cross-bars to orm the stay or con hng links in (shown at Figs. 7 and S} is composed of any number of the sinto suit the width of the multiple c and a.

slight chan e of the connections that unite these s'taylades, presently to be described. At Fig. 9 is shown one of the stay-links for the multiple chain composed of the stgge blades 7, which, as before mentioned, are

exact duplicate of the stay-blades shown at Figs. 3 and 6 except as to their length. The connections 8 are the exact counterpart of the connections 8 (shown at Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) except (see Fig. 10) that the connections 8 are partiall divided by the opening 11 on the under sid e to permit the chain to ive and take, and thereby preserve a uniform strain on the wide belt. In other words, 10 these bifurcated stay-link connections enable the wide belt to pull even and true under all conditions of load or strain which it would be difficult to do were these connections solid, as shown at Fig. 8.

A chain constructed on the lines above set forth can be made of much lighter stock than the ordinary drive or sprocket chain connected together by working pivotal bearings or joints whose diameter must be increased proportionate to the strain to which the chain is to be subjected. Such joints give an increased weight to the chain, and an additional strain is thereby utu on long lengths by this increased weigl it, which greatly de- 2 5 creases the factor of safety.

With my im roved chain the point of contact between t 1e loop-links and stay or coupling links is so slight that these en aging points are frictionless. Therefore as t ere is no friction there can be no wear, and consequently no oil is required. The knife-edge contact is always maintained under a load, for it is impossible for such contact to become disengaged, as the angular formation at 3 5 the ends of the loop-links will counteract any tendency of the knife-edges of the stay-blade leaving their seats, located at the apex of such angular formation. In other words, these stay-blades cannot under a load leave their position.

As the loop-links are made of thin metal, the lower or pulley-contact face 1 of the links wlil spring or curve inward to conform to the circumferential face of the pulley as they pass around it, while the upper surface of these links will be correspondingly lengthened through the medium of the ridin bows 2. Conse uently these links cannot e ermanently 'storted or stretched, but wil return again to their normal position. The facility with which any number of units of a sin e chain may be coupled together to form a o ain of an desired Width enables it to be used in p ace of wide belting, and it is 5 5' much superior to leather belting, as it will not stretch or abnormally lengthen.

My im roved chain can readily be applied to sproc et-wheels by simply making the space 12 between the loop-links proportional 6o to-the size of the sprocket-teeth.

When used as a flat-surface transmissionchain, it might be desirable to cover the surface of the pulley with leather, rubber, or other flexible material, so that the metal links 6 5 may form a proper contact and not slip.

To readily and fully appreciate the advantages of my knife-edge jolnt, it is only necessary to consider that the same principle is used. as balancing-points on all platformscales, and as there is no friction on these points they never wear or require oiling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure bylietters Patent, is

1. A chain comprising sheet-metal loo links with angular-shaped ends, stay-lin s comprising angular stay-blades to contact with said angular-shaped ends, connections for said blades, for the purpose set forth.

2. A chain comprising sheet-metal looplinks having angular-shaped ends on said links, stay-links comprising stay-blades angular in cross-section to contact with said angular-shaped ends, connections for said blades, for the purpose set forth.

3. A chain comprising alternate sheetmetal loop-links having angular-shaped ends, coupling-links connecting the loop-links, said couplinglinks comprising angular shaped stay-blades and connections for said blades, for the purpose set forth.

4. A chain comprising sheet-metal looplinks having angular-shaped ends, stay-links comprising angular stay-blades to contact with said angular-shaped ends, removable connections for said blades, for the purpose set forth.

5. A chain comprising sheet-metal looplinks having angular-shaped ends, stay-links comprising angular stay blades, removable connections having angular openings to admit said blades, for the purpose set forth.

6. A chain comprising sheet-metal links having angular-shaped ends or seats, diamond-shaped stay-blades adapted to engage with said seats, means for yoking or connecting said blades together, for the purpose set forth.

7. A chain comprising alternate links of sheet metal with angular ends, links having angular edges adapted to engage with the apexes of said angular ends, for the purpose set forth.

8. A frictionless 'ointed chain com rising alternate flexible sheetmetal links liaving angular bearing-points in their ends, combined with angularshaped coupling-links, for the purpose set forth.

9. A flexible sheet-metal link having a pul- Icy-contact lower surface adapted to spring inward to conform to a pulley, and having an opening in its upper surface, a flexible bridge to span said opening, for the purpose set forth.

10. A chain com rising alternate flexible and angular-ended sheet-metal loop-links having an opening on one side and a flexible bridge spanning said opening so as to prevent abnormal expansion or stretching of said links, stay-links for coupling said loop-links together comprising stay-blades angular in cross-section, connections forsaid blades having angular openings to admit seid blades, said biades adapted to be automatically seated at the apexes of the angular-ends iooplinks, for the purpose set forth.

11. A chain comprising alternate fiexibie and angularly ended loop links having an opening in one side, a flexible bridge to span said opening, stay-links for couplin said loop-links together comprising staylades angular in cross-section, connections for said blades having angular openings to admit said blades, means to prevent accidental withdrawal of said blades, for the purpose set forth.

12. A chain comprising links whose inner ends are provided with angular-shaped seats, coupling-links having stay-blades or crosskbars angular H1 cross-section, the edges of said bars adapted to engs c with the apexcs of the said angular-shape ,seats, expansible ponililections for said bars, for the purpose set ort 13. A chain comprising alternate sheetmetal loop-links having angular-shaped ends, coupling-links therefor comprising angularshaped stayblades, removable connections having angular shaped openings for said bledes, expansible cotter-pins for said blades, for the urpose set forth.

14. angular-jointed sheet-metal chain comprising flexible loop-links adapted to bow in on one side and e and on the other so as to conform to a curve surface, an ar cou ling-links connecting the 'loops, for t e.

purpose set forth.

15. A multiple-fink chain comprisin flexible sheet-meta loop-links havinlgan arend seats, means on the up or side 0 sei links to permit said upper su ace to lengthen whiie the under side conforms to the curvature of a pulle coupling-links comprising stay-blades angu or in cross-section to contact with the angular seats of the loop-links, expansihle connections embracing said stay-blades, for the purpose set forth. r

Signed at Bridge ort, in the county of Fairfield and State 0 C onnecticut this 11th day of September, A. I). 1905.

HENRY A. HOUSE,

Witnesses:

FRANK B. FILToN, C. J. Roaon. 

